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      ‘Of course it is not—’ Dolly broke off to consider him closely. ‘Who has said such things—surely not Juliet?’ she exclaimed. ‘Have the two of you argued?’

      Sebastian gave a hard, humourless laugh. ‘I do not believe it can be called an argument when I merely listened as she told me exactly what sort of man she believes me to be.’ His expression darkened. ‘It did not paint a pretty picture.’

      ‘No, I would not think it did, if it was the one you have just told to me,’ Dolly conceded. ‘What she thinks of you bothers you that much?’ she asked shrewdly.

      Sebastian’s scowl turned blacker than ever. ‘Only in as much as it appears to be true!’

      Dolly shrugged. ‘Easy enough to change if you wish it, surely?’

      He snorted. ‘And how would you suggest I go about doing that? Hawk is the Duke. Lucian is a war hero. And I very much doubt the church would suit me, or I it! No, it appears I’m stuck with being the profligate rake.’

      ‘I believe Bancroft mentioned he is in need of another gamekeeper … No, perhaps not,’ she said hastily, as Sebastian’s gaze became steely at her levity.

      Sebastian took advantage of Dolly’s introduction of the Earl into the conversation. ‘Bancroft expressed a wish to talk to me this morning. Do you have any idea what it can be about?’

      Dolly shook her head. ‘I am sure Bancroft will tell you that himself shortly.’

      ‘In other words you have no intention of discussing it with me even if you do know?’ Sebastian guessed wryly.

      ‘I would rather not,’ Dolly admitted. ‘What did you do to Juliet to make her say such hurtful things to you? Dare I ask what had happened shortly before this … exchange?’

      Sebastian shifted uncomfortably. ‘No, Dolly, you may not.’

      He had no intention of telling Dolly—or anyone else, for that matter—what had transpired between himself and Juliet prior to the verbal tongue-lashing he had received from her that had resulted in his present foul mood. He might be all of the things Lady Juliet Boyd had accused him of, but he was also a gentleman, and a gentleman did not discuss with a third party his relationship with a lady. Or the lack of it!

      ‘However, I do not believe I am being indiscreet by confiding that she is of the opinion that my marked interest in her is due entirely to a wager amongst the gentlemen at my club.’

      Dolly raised an eyebrow. ‘Such wagers do exist, do they not?’

      ‘To my knowledge, none that concern the Countess!’ Sebastian glowered fiercely.

      ‘Did you inform Juliet of that?’

      ‘I did.’ He gave a humourless smile at the memory. ‘She chose not to believe me.’

      ‘Hmm.’ Dolly nodded thoughtfully. ‘You know, Sebastian, I am not at all convinced that life can have been particularly pleasant when spent with a man of such high moral reputation as Admiral Lord Edward Boyd …’

      ‘You think perhaps he was not so perfect in his private life?’ It was something that Sebastian was also beginning to suspect ….

      ‘I offer it merely as an explanation for Juliet’s condemnation of your own licentious behaviour,’ his hostess said airily.

      Sebastian’s gaze narrowed. ‘Dolly, I do not suppose that you and Boyd ever—’

      ‘No, we most certainly did not!’ She laughed huskily. ‘My dear, he was far too much the paragon to form an alliance with one such as I. And I am sure his sort of perfection must have been very tiresome to live with on a daily basis.’

      Sebastian made an impatient movement. ‘Surely you are not suggesting that tiresomeness was enough to merit his being pushed down the stairs to his death?’

      Dolly grimaced. ‘I am merely saying that Juliet might be forgiven if she did want to be rid of such a man. I believe that if Bancroft should ever become so pompous and self-important I might consider taking such action myself!’

      Sebastian gave a throaty chuckle. ‘If every dissatisfied wife in Society were to follow Juliet Boyd’s example as a way of ridding herself of a disagreeable husband then I believe there would be only widows left—’

      Sebastian broke off abruptly as he heard a shocked gasp behind him, turning sharply to see the edge of disappearing silken skirts as the eavesdropper on his conversation with Dolly made good her escape.

      He stood up abruptly. ‘Dolly, please tell me that was not she!’ he groaned. But he knew by the consternation on his hostess’s face that it had indeed been the Countess of Crestwood who had overheard their damning conversation ….

      Once dressed, Juliet had gone upstairs to check on Helena, who was thankfully much improved yet still in considerable discomfort, before proceeding down to the breakfast room. Her intention had been to seek out Sebastian and offer him an apology for some of the things she had said to him the previous evening. She had come to realise, through the long hours of a sleepless night, that it was herself she was angry with, not him.

      She had heard the murmur of conversation as she’d approached the breakfast room, coming to a halt in the hallway when she heard Edward’s name mentioned. She’d regretted that hesitation almost instantly, as she hadn’t been able to help but overhear the rest of the conversation.

      Sebastian St Claire believed her as guilty of Edward’s death as surely as did every other member of the ton!

      Hateful, hateful man. And to think it had been her intention to apologise to him this morning for her insulting remarks to him the previous evening! How much more hurtful had been his own comments just now than anything she had said to him.

      ‘Juliet!’

      She glanced back over her shoulder to see Sebastian pursuing her down the hallway, his expression grim as his much longer strides brought him ever closer, making a nonsense of Juliet’s attempt to avoid him.

      She came to a sudden halt in the hallway and turned to face him. ‘Do you have more accusations you wish to make, Lord St Claire? Possibly to my face this time?’ she challenged scathingly. ‘Do you not think that overhearing you accuse me of killing my husband is enough insult for one morning?’ Her hands were shaking so badly that she had to clasp them tightly behind her back.

      Sebastian frowned. ‘I do not believe myself guilty of having done that.’

      ‘No?’ Juliet’s chin was raised in challenge, her eyes sparkling angrily. Anger was by far a better emotion than the tears that threatened but which she absolutely refused to shed.

      ‘No,’ he maintained harshly, those whisky-coloured eyes dark and stormy. ‘I accept it was wrong of Dolly and I to repeat the—the speculation that has abounded since your husband’s sudden death. But at no time did either of us claim to be expressing our own views on the subject.’

      Juliet eyed him in a seething fury. ‘Perhaps you would care to do so now?’

      No, Sebastian did not believe that he would. Juliet’s mood was such that anything he said to her now, especially concerning his opinion of the circumstances of her husband’s death, was sure to be misconstrued by her. ‘Perhaps the speculation would not be so rife if you ceased to maintain your own silence on the subject …’

      ‘What would you like me to say, Lord St Claire?’ she scorned. ‘That it was I the servants believe they heard arguing with Edward only minutes before he fell to his death? That I hated my husband so much, wanted rid of him so much, I deliberately and wilfully pushed him down the stairs in the hopes that he would break his neck?’

      No, Sebastian had no desire to hear Juliet say those things. He did not want to even think of this beautiful and delicate woman behaving in such a cold and calculating way. Nor to imagine what desperation she’d felt—what Edward Boyd’s behaviour towards

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